Alternating current regulating means



Oct. 23, 1945. Q J. HQLSLAG 2,387,327

ALTERNATING CURRENT REGULATING MEANS Filed April 1, 1942 BY Q? 220%ATTORNEY the reactor shown in Figure l. I

Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALTERNATING CURRENTREGULATIN G MEANS Claude J. Holslag, South Orange, N. J., assignor toElectric Arc, Inc., Newark, N. J.

Application April 1, 1942, Serial No. 437,103

3 Claims.

herein. While the structures of my Patent 2,192,312 disclose excellentcurrent control means, I have found that'the three-legged reactor, suchas shown in Figure l of said patent, or the threelegged transformershown in Figures 2 to 6 of said patent, still have certain drawbacks.For example, if the reactor or transformer is made what might be termedshort and fat, the current change, when the movable core is shifted, istoo abrupt. If the structure is long and thin, the

-movement of the shiftable core portion becomes excessive from bottom totop. These drawbacks may be overcome to some extent, as I have ac-vcomplished, by putting taps in the regulating coil or by making theregulating coil in groups so that :these groups may be connected inseries, multiple,

or series multiple; or, still further, connecting the structuresthemselves as a whole, in series or This patent also points in multiple,thereby getting numerous combinations of windings.

Where reactors such as shown in Figure 1 of my patent above mentionedare connected mechanically in series, physical balance of the movablecore portions can be obtained, but the entire structure is large andcumbersome.

As heretofore stated, after much experience and-.experirnentation withthe above combinations, I have discovered improved ways of overcomingthese drawbacks or what might be termed disadvantages. Theseimprovements are illustrated rather diagrammatically in the encloseddrawing, wherein:

Figure l is a view showing an improved type of I reactor, the same beinga five-legged structure,

the winding of which is connected to a current supply transformer, andboth connected in an arc welding circuit.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the bottom of Figure 3 is adiagrammatic view of a fourlegged reactor which may be constructed likethe reactor of Figure 1, except that the central movable leg is circularin form.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of Figure 3 corresponding to Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view of a further modified form of a five-legged reactor.

Figure 6 is a schematic view of a special adaptation of a polyphase gangarrangement of welding, utilizing three transformers such as shown inFigure 2 of my patent heretofore referred to.

Figure 7 is a view of a six-phase mother transformer, each phase ofwhich may feed current to one or more of the reactors such as shown inFigures l, 3 and 5.

In Figure l, i illustrates the core of a supply transformer of the shelltype having a primary winding 2 and a secondary winding 3 on the centralleg of the core. One end of the secondary winding 3 is connected to awinding 4 that surrounds a movable middle leg 5 of a core having legs 6,l, 8 and 9. Each of the legs 69 has a top inturned yoke end Hi to extendover the top part of the coil or winding 4 into close proximity to themovable core structure 5. The lower portions of the legs 6-8 haveinturned ends II which preferably meet below the end of the movable leg5 in a manner such as illustrated in Figure 2. The entire corestructure, including the movable 'leg 5, is made up of suitabletransformer lamination stock. The laminations are assembled in a mannerso as to prevent undue heating of the various parts of the core.Likewise, the means for moving the middle core leg 5 may be of thepump-handle type such as shown in my patent previously referred to,wherein the handle may be operated manually or automatically by asuitable motor drive, but these details, various types of which havebeen used by me, are not necessary to make the present invention clear.The opposite end of the secondary winding 8 and the opposite end of thecoil 4 are connected to the arc electrodes.

In the reactor construction of Figure 1, by having four stationary legswith their respective yoke ends arranged as described, a bettermechanical and electrical balance is obtained, as well as a reactorhaving a greater emcienoy over a wide range of current which may becontrolled thereby.

In Figure 3, three legs l2, l3 and I4 are shown with their yoke ends allin a, straight line to better illustrate the application of the primaryand secondary windings Ill and l 6 thereto, but it is to be understoodthat the core parts l2, l3 and i4, with their yoke ends, are to bearranged preferably as shown in Figure 1. The movable leg I! may he asplit tube carrying a bundle of relatively ilne iron wire. The bottomyoke ends of the legs l2,- l3 and I4 may be joined as shown in Figuree,and if found necessary, the space l8 may be filled with suitable finelydivided magnetic material housed to prevent its movement away from theallotted space. Primary leads I9 from the reactor extend to a suitablesource of current supply.

In Figure the core legs 6-9 are the same type of construction as inFigure 1, and likewise the yoke ends at both ends of the reactor are thesame as the yoke ends it of Figure 1. In this form of reactor the fifthcore leg is a split tube H, the same as in Figure 3, filled with abundle of relatively fine iron wire. The core leg ll may be providedwith attachments at either end for moving it back and forth within thewinding 4. Preferably the core I! is supported by suitable bearings 25carried in support members 20 arranged at oppo ite ends of thestructure.

In Figure 6, a three-phase transformer T supplies current to theprimaries P of three reactor transformers 21, 22 and 23 which arearranged so that the third leg of each may form a junction similar to Hiof Figure 4, each secondary S being connected to its welding electrode Ethrough its movable core coil 4. The legs 26 of each of the transformers2!, 22 and 23 may, as illustrated in Figure 6, be reduced incross-sectional area, and the junction member 24 may be adjustable inand out, 1': e same as the cores 5. By making the legs 26 0 ,reducedarea from the outer legs carrying the primary windings, the reactiveeffect of the movable core leg 24 will be greater and a simultaneousreaction on all the transformers and their respective arcs can beobtained.

If the source of supply is a six-phase arrangement, such as thesix-phase mother transformer shown in Figure 7, then there will be sixof the reactor transformers of Figure 6 preferably set at angles ofsixty degrees. With this construction, where a very heavy current isrequired which is too much for one electrode, the load may be dividedinto two or more parts, depending on the number of phases used, and inthis arrangement the electrodes E are positioned so as to get the effectof one large electrode. This arrangement lends itself admirably to gangwelding wherein the electrodes are positioned in oiiset position so thearcs follow each other in sequence, somewhat like the furrows in a gangplow. If a large electrode were used, it would be connected to only onephase of a polyphase circuit and this would unbalance the system;

whereas, by dividing the load in the manner described, the electrodesare smaller, and likewise the reactor transformers, thereby balancingthe load on the supply system. While I have just described the use of areactive transformer in the gang welding arrangement shown in Figure 6,the reactors of Figures 1, 3 and 5 may likewise be arranged to give asimilar result.

In Figure 7 I have shown one type of a. sixphase mother transformerwherein only the secondary windings are shown, each phase of which maysupply current to one or more of the reactors in a manner such asgenerally illustrated in my Patent 2,025,207, but since this transformerper se forms no part of my present invention, it is not furtherdescribed herein.

What I claim is: I

1. A polyphase welding system including a plurality ofreactor-transformers each having a. plurality of legs, one of which hasa primary winding adapted to be connected to one phase of a polyphasesource of power and a main secondary winding thereon, another legmovable and having an auxiliary secondary winding therearound, and stillanother leg spaced from the other legs, the last-mentioned leg and thefirstmentioned leg of each transformer having yoke ends between whichthe movable leg thereof is positioned, the last-mentioned legs of eachtransformer being coupled to form at least one common flux path for allthe transformers, the main and auxiliary secondary windings of eachtransformer being connected in series and to an electrode, theelectrodes being positioned to act in conjunctive relation. I

2. A polyphase welding system including a plurality ofreactor-transformers each having a plurality of legs, one of which has aprimary winding adapted to be connected to one phase of 'a polyphasesource of power and a main secondary winding thereon, another legmovable and having an auxiliary secondary winding therearound, and stillanother leg spaced from the other legs, the last-mentioned leg and thefirstmentioned leg of each transformer having yoke ends between whichthe movable leg thereof is positioned, the last-mentioned legs of eachtransformer being coupled at least in part by a, movable leg to form anadjustable flux-carrying member common to all the transformers, the mainand auxiliary secondary windings of each transformer being connected inseries and to an electrode, the electrodes being positioned to act inconjunctive relation.

3. For a welding system utilizing a plurality of simultaneously actingcooperative arcs, a plurality of reactor structures, one for each are,

CLAUDE J. HOLSLAG.

